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Year 3 English Writing

Diary Writing

A diary is a personal record of your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Diary entries are written in first person, use past tense, and include the date!

What You Need to Know

A diary is a personal, informal text where you write about your own experiences, feelings and thoughts. Diary entries are always written in first person (I, me, my, we) and usually in past tense (because you write about things that have happened). Each entry begins with the date. Diary writing is informal — you can write as if talking to a close friend.

Key Concepts

Date

Written at the top of each entry

First Person

I, me, my, we, our

Past Tense

Wrote about what happened

Feelings

Include personal thoughts

Example diary entry:

Dear Diary,

Monday, 2nd March 2026

Today was one of the best days ever! My class went on an excursion to the museum. I was so excited when I saw the dinosaur skeletons — they were enormous! My favourite was the T-Rex. I wish we could go every week.

Zara

Key Vocabulary

Diary Entry

A personal record of thoughts and experiences written on a specific date, as if talking to yourself.

First Person

Writing from the writer's point of view using I, me, my, we — e.g. I went to the park.

Informal Language

Everyday, conversational writing — relaxed and personal, as if chatting with a friend.

Reflective Writing

Writing that explores thoughts and feelings about events — diary writing is a form of reflection.

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

A diary entry should always begin with:

Question 2

Which pronoun (person word) is used in diary writing?

Question 3

Which sentence is written in the correct style for a diary entry?

Question 4

What makes diary writing different from report writing?

Key Concepts Summary